Mechanical whirlwind toy



H. sruvrsy 2,135,606

MECHANICAL WHIRLWIND TOY Filed Sept. 22, 1936 Patented Nov. 8,l '1938UNITED- .STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANICAL wHmLwmn TOY Henry Stuve,Brooklyn, N. Y. Application september .22, 193s, serial No. 101,898

s claims. (Cl. 212-31) and of a driven ensemble of parts, arranged at ahigher horizontal plane and comprising a disk,

A l a number of radially extending arms. and small articles such astoy-ships, toy-airplanesmr the like at theends of the arms. When thedriving mechanism is set to work, then the articles at the ends of thearms will move along on a horizontal l circular way, sothat the wholedevice will be a moving toy to please children. But the device may beusedjust as well for business purposes as an advertising means, becauseany movement of articles in a show-window always attracts the attentionof the public. When using the device as an advertising means, the sailsof the circling ships or the .wings of the moving airplanes can furtherbe made to carry inscriptions or pictures of the particular goods to beadvertised. It is further an essential feature of the invention, to

make my new and improved device in certain cases still more efIicient,lby making it reversible. This can be done either by making only thedriving mechanism reversible,'to change its direction of movementautomatically after a certain time, or, ina more elaborate constructionof the device, at the movement reversal of the driving mechanism.likewise the circling ships, airplanes or.other articles are likewiseturned round their vertical axis, so as to make the appearance or theillusion more perfect. Y

The drawing shows two embodiments of my above characterized invention,whereby in the illustrated devices ships are shown as the articles atthe ends of the circling arms; y

Figures l and 2 are an elevation and a top-plan view of `a more simpledevice, adapted to go round in one direction only;

Figure 3 is an elevation of amore elaborate device,`insofar, as theshipsior other articles) at the ends of theradialarms are adapted to beturned round the vertical axis, vto make their movements more realistic;

Figure 4 is a top plan view on Figure 3; Figure 5 is a top plan view onthe reversa mechanism for the ships (or other toy-articles) at the endsof the arms, set for reversed circling movement.

Referring now more in particular to the draw- 55' Ving in the firstillustrated device an electric motor II,by the means of the conicalgearing I2, drives a vertical shaft I3. At the side of thisY shaftstands fixed the vertical. hollow post Il, into the upper end of whichthe'stem I5 of a flag or some other emblem is inserted, being ilxed` ata certain 6 height by a collar-ring I6 which rests on certain l. otherconstructional parts 'still to be described.

The lower part of the ag-stem passes loosely through a. big horizontaldisk or block I6, which at its lower -side is continuous with a toothed10 wheel I1 which meshes with another wheel I3 fixed at the upper end ofthe shaft I3. 'I'he circular block IB has at its periphery four holes,into which'the four arms I9 are inserted so as to extend radially to thefour sides, in a horizontal 15 plane. FourA little sailing-vessels 20are mounted on the ends of the four arms I9, by fixing the masts of`these vessels into holes drilled vertically into the lends of the armsI9. If-the motor Il is "started, then its rotative motion istransmitted, 20

through the gearing I2, the shaft I3 and the gearing I8, I1, to theblock I6, and consequently the four ships 20 will move carousel-like ina roundabout way round the ag I6. If the motor Il is reversible and ttedor cooperatingvwith 'an auto- 25 matically acting reversal time switch,then the disk or block I6 with the arms I9 and the ships 20 will movealternatingly iirst in one and then in the other direction.

' In the construction shown in the Figures l and 30` 2 the circularblock I'G with the ship-carrying arms I9 is supposed to rotate always inthe same direction. However, in order to attract more attention, smallelectric bulbs 31 are provided on the little ships 20. Electric currentis fed to the 35 bulbsby a conduit 38, coming from a contact ring 39,which is i'n an insulated manner mounted on the lower surface of thecircular block I6. The contact ring 39 receives the current from thecontact brush 40 atthe end of the Wire 4|, said 40 brush being held byan arm 42,V extending from the upper end of the post I4. All the bulbs39 on the diierent ships may be connected in series, the details of suchwiring not being shown for the sake of greater clearness 'of theillustration, 45 Iand as being a most simple matter within the skill ofgeneral public.

In order to increase the attractiveness of the device, I provide furtherin certain cases a music box 2|, which advantagel ously will be arrangedabove or at the sidev of the driving motor I I, and is operated by thelatter by the pulleyand rope-transmission 22.

The embodiment of the invention, shown in the' ,Figures 3 to 5 is in itsessentials similar to that of the first example; at the side of themotor-,driven vertical shaft 23 stands the tubular post 2l, into the topend of whichthe stem of a flag 26 is inserted and positioned by thecollar-ring 226. The lower part of the flag-stem passes loosely throughthe horizontal disk or block 26, which disk, at the ends of the radialarms 29, holds the-toy sailing vessels 3|!Y (or other suitable articles,as mentioned above). Underneath the block 26 and its arms 29 is theship-turning mechanism, which consists of a. hub-like central part 3|radial .arms 32 and rim-segments 33. The hub 3|, which carries the block26 loosely, so as to allow a sliding displacement, and which in similarway surroundslikewise the agstem 25 only loosely, is at its lowersldecontinuous with the toothwheel 21, which latter meshes with anothertoothwheel 29, xed at the upper end of the shaft 23. `The rim-segments33 are provided with peripherie tooth-gearing 3|, extending only on theshort length of the segments, and ending into higher border-ledges 35 atthe two lateral ends of each segment. The masts of the toy-vessels 36(or the vertical axes of the other articles replacing them) pass looselythrough the ends of the arms 29 holding them, and at their lower endsare ixed little pinions 36, which latter have their teeth howeverextending only over three quarters of their circumference, leaving thelast quarter of the circumference without gearing. If in thisconstruction the motor of the driving mechanism is started, then thepower transmission through the shaft 23 and the gearing 21, 23 drivesrst only the hub 3| with the arms 32 and the rimsegments 33; the upperblock 26 with the arms 29 and the ships 30 is held back temporarily by.the friction of the stationary nag-pole and by the resistance of theship-sails in the air. 'I'he teeth of the rim-segments 33 revolve thepinions 36 and with them the toy-vessels 36, until the one border-ledge35 of the segment-gearing strikes against the pinion 36. Thereafter thefurther circling movement of the rim-segments 33 takes with them thepinions and consequently the whole upper ensemble of the block 26, thearms 29 and the ships 36, the ships are circling on a circular way, asin the flrst`example. Figure 4 shows the relative positions of one .arm32 an'd its coordinate pinion 36 with the arm 29, set for anticlockworkcircling movement. Naturally al1 four arms 29 of the construction oftheFigure 4 are pushed by other driving arms 32 and pinions 36 ofthe sameconstruction, but the Figure 4 shows, for the sake of greater lucidity,only one set of such cooperating arms 29, 32. When the motor or drivingmechanism is reversed, then iirst the upper yensemble 26, 29 with theshipsstops circling, so/long until the returning rimsegments 33 strikewith their other border ledges 35 against the* pinions 36. But by thisrst revolution of the rim-segments on the pinions 36 the latter arekturned round their axes', and with them the ships 39 make a halfrevolution round their masts. Figure 5 shows the new relative the upperAensemble with. themA on the further return circling movement, this timein the clock- Wise direction, as indicated in the Figure 5 until a.newreversal of the driving mechanism' reestablishes again circling'movement in the rst 5- direction.

As it had been said in lthe beginning, the invention is not limited tothe illustrated and above described embodiments, but may be varied inthe extending radially from the block; horizontal 20 wheelrim-likesegments at the ends of the arms: teeth at the outer periphery of thesegments and border-ledges at the two ends of each segmenttoothing;another horizontal disk-like block rotatably xed on top of the firstsaid rotatable '25 block; arms extending radially from the second saidupper block; small toys such as sailing vessels or toy airplanes xed .atthe ends of the last.

said arms.' so as to be turnable round vertical axes of these toys andpinions ilxed at the lower 30 ends of the toy-axes, the said pinionsmeshing with the teeth of the before said segments.

2. A toy-like advertising device of the kind described, comprising incombination: a driving mechanism arranged at a lower plane and in- 95cluding a rotatable vertical shaft: a vertical tubu- .lar post standingstationary at the side of the ,fil

said shaft; a horizontal block rested rotatable .Y' round its axis onthe top of the post, the upper part of which block has the form of arhub with v4.0

radially extending arms, whereas the lower part of said block has theform of a pinion; means such as a agpole extending through the centre ofthe said rotatable block and reaching into the stationary tubular postfor centering the block 454 coaxially with the post; a pinion at theupper end of the rotatable vertical shaft and meshing with the pinionpart of the beforesaid block; and

.diiferent advertising toys carriedby the outer ends of the beforesaidradial arms.

3. A toy-like advertising device of the kind de scribed, comprising incombination: a driving mechanism arranged at a lower plane and includinga rotatable vertical shaft; a-music-box connected with and operated bythe driving 55 mechanism; a vertical stationary post at the sid l of therotatable shaft; a horizontal block rested rotatable Vround its axis onthe top of the post, the upper part of whichvblock has the form of a hubwith radially extending arms, whereas the lower part of said block hasthe form of a pinion; means for centering the rotatable block coaxiallywith the post; a. pinion at the upper end of the rotatable verticalshaft and meshing with the pinion part of the beforesaid block; and g5different advertisingtoys carried by the outer ends of the beforesaidradial arms.

, HENRY STUVI.4

